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Burgundy: A Comprehensive Guide to the Producers, Appelatio
Burgundy: A Comprehensive Guide to the Producers, Appelatio
Burgundy: A Comprehensive Guide to the Producers, Appelatio
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Burgundy: A Comprehensive Guide to the Producers, Appelatio

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Burgundy is a fitting monument to the region that is capable of producing, in Parker’s words, “the world's most majestic, glorious, and hedonistic red and white wine.”

With the publication of his classic volumes, Bordeaux and The Wines of the Rhône Valley and Provence, together with the several editions of his Wine Buyer’s Guide, Robert M. Parker, Jr., has emerged as America’s most influential and articulate authority on wine. Whether he writes of the fabled French châteaux or of lesser-known growers and producers from around the world, his books have proved invaluable reading for connoisseurs and neophytes alike, for they contain not only hard-headed, frank analysis but an undisguised and positively contagious enthusiasm for his subject.

In this book, his most ambitious and comprehensive to date, Parker offers an extraordinary guide to the growers, appellations, and wines of Burgundy, the viticultural region in eastern France that produces the most exotic, sought-after, expensive, and frequently least understood wines in the world.

Like its predecessors, Bordeaux and The Wines of the RhOne Valley and Provence, Parker’s Burgundy has all the makings of a classic. It is a beautifully produced book, and it boasts more than thirty specially made color maps, with those depicting the individual appellations drawn in such exquisite detail that each and every vineyard is visible. Burgundy is a fitting monument to the region that is capable of producing, in Parker”s words, “the world’s most majestic, glorious, and hedonistic red and white wine.”
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 2, 2010
ISBN9781439142103
Burgundy: A Comprehensive Guide to the Producers, Appelatio
Author

Robert M. Parker

Robert M. Parker, Jr., has been the author and publisher of The Wine Advocate for more than twenty-five years. He has won countless awards, including two of France’s highest presidential honors: in 1993, President Francois Mitterrand pronounced him a Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Merite. In 1999, President Jacques Chirac signed a decree appointing Parker a Chevalier dans L’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur, and in 2005, elevated his title to Officier. He is the author of many books about wine, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, The Wines of the Rhône Valley, and Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide. Visit the author online at RobertParker.com.

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    Burgundy - Robert M. Parker

    Also by Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    BORDEAUX: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR THE WINES PRODUCED SINCE 1961

    THE WINES OF THE RHÔNE VALLEY AND PROVENCE

    PARKER’S WINE BUYER’S GUIDE

    Simon and Schuster

    Simon & Schuster Building

    Rockefeller Center

    1230 Avenue of the Americas

    New York, New York 10020

    www.SimonandSchuster.com

    Copyright © 1990 by Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    All rights reserved

    including the right of reproduction

    in whole or in part in any form.

    SIMON AND SCHUSTER and colophon are registered trademarks of

    Simon & Schuster Inc.

    Designed by Levavi & Levavi, Inc.

    Manufactured in the United States of America

    3  5  7  9  10  8  6  4  2

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

    Parker, Robert M.

    Burgundy: a comprehensive guide to the producers, appellations,

    and wines/Robert M. Parker, Jr.; drawings by Christopher Wormell.

    p.  cm.

    Includes bibliographical references and index.

    1. Wine and wine making—France—Burgundy.  I. Title.

    TP553.P373  1990

    641.2′2′09444—dc20                                                                                                90-38342

                                                                                               CIP

    ISBN 0-671-63378-3

    eISBN-13: 978-0-671-63378-3

    ISBN-13: 978-1-439-14210-3

    This book is dedicated to Pat, Maia, Sarah, Cece, Bubba, and to my dear friend, Bob Lescher.

    I would like to express my gratitude to the following people whose assistance, cooperation, and support have been immensely appreciated.

    Jacques d’Angerville, Jim Arsenault, Eve Auchincloss, Bruce Bassin, Ruth Bassin, Michel Bettane, Lalou Bize-Leroy, Christopher Cannan, Jeanne-Marie de Champs, Louis-Marc Chevignard, Bob Cline, Geoffrey Connor, Alain Corcia, Jane Crawford, Bill Deutsch, Sherwood Deutsch, Michael Dresser, Robert Drouhin, Stanley Dry, Georges Duboeuf, Hubrecht Duijker, Paul Evans, Anne Faiveley, François Faiveley, Bob Fiore, Joel Fleischman, Michael Franklin, André Gagey, Pierre-Henri Gagey, Steve Gilbertson, Bernard Godec, Michael Goldstein, Madame J. Gros, Daniel Haas, Robert Haas, Josué Harari, Alexandra Harding, Brenda Hayes, Thomas Hoving, Tom Hurst, Henri Jayer, Ed Jonna, Alain Junguenet, Robert Kacher, Allen Krasner, Carole Lalli, Jacques Lardière, Philippe Leclerc, Vincent Leflaive, Susan Lescher, Eliot Mackey, Eve Metz, Frank Metz, Jay Miller, M. Mongeard, Sidney Moore, the late Dr. Georges Mugneret, Mitchell Nathanson, Jill Norman, Bob Orenstein, Miranda Page-Wood, Joan Passman, Allen Peacock, Frank Polk, Martha Reddington, Neal Rosenthal, Christophe Roumier, Jean-Marie Roumier, Charles Rousseau, Tom Ryder, Ed Sands, the Sangoy family, Martine Saunier, Bob Schindler, Jacques Seysses, Ernie Singer, Elliott Staren, Jean Trapet, Peter Vezan, Aubert de Villaine, Jean-Claude Vrinat, Steve Wallace, Becky Wasserman, Karen Weinstock, Joseph Weinstock, Larry Wiggins, Jeanyee Wong, and Gérard Yvernault.

    A LIST OF MAPS OF BURGUNDY

    INTRODUCTION

    A BRIEF HISTORY OF BURGUNDY

    HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

    Evaluating Wines

    Rating the Producers and Growers

    The Star Ratings

    Tasting Notes and Wine Ratings

    One Further Caveat

    TWENTY QUESTIONS ABOUT BURGUNDY

    PART ONE: THE GROWERS AND PRODUCERS OF BURGUNDY

    Domaine Bertrand Ambroise

    Bernard Amiot

    Pierre Amiot et Fils

    Amiot-Bonfils

    Domaine Robert Ampeau

    Domaine Pierre André

    Domaine Marquis d’Angerville

    Domaine Arlaud Père et Fils

    Domaine de l’Arlot

    Domaine Comte Armand

    Domaine Arnoux Père et Fils

    Domaine Robert Arnoux

    Auvigue-Burrier-Revel

    Domaine Bernard Bachelet et Fils

    Domaine Denis Bachelet

    Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet

    Domaine Bachelet-Ramonet

    Château Bader-Mimeur

    Domaine Raymond Ballot-Millot et Fils

    Domaine André Bart

    Domaine Gaston Barthod-Noëllat

    Domaine L. Bassy

    Château du Basty

    Domaine Philippe Batacchi

    Domaine Charles et Paul Bavard

    Paul Beaudet

    Château de Beauregard

    Domaine Adrien Belland

    Domaine Joseph Belland

    Domaine Gérard Berger

    Domaine Bernard

    Domaine Alain Bernillon

    Domaine Pierre Bernollin

    Domaine René Berrod-Les Roches du Vivier

    Domaine Bersan et Fils

    Domaine Bertagna

    Domaine Denis Berthaut

    Domaine Pierre Bertheau

    Domaine Besancenot-Mathouillet

    Domaine André Besson

    Albert Bichot

    Domaine Léon Bienvenu

    Domaine Billard-Gonnet

    Domaine Billaud-Simon

    Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur

    Domaine Pierre Bitouzet

    Domaine Simon Bize et Fils

    Domaine de Blagny

    Domaine Blain-Gagnard

    Domaine Blondeau-Danne

    Domaine Guy Bocard

    Domaine Marcel Bocquenet

    Domaine Henri Boillot

    Jean-Marc Boillot

    Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils

    Domaine Pierre Boillot

    Domaine de Boischampt

    Château de Boisfranc

    Jean-Claude Boisset

    Domaine Boisson-Vadot

    Domaine de la Boittière

    Domaine André Bonhomme

    Domaine Bonneau du Martray

    Château Bonnet

    Domaine Bonnot-Lamblot

    Domaine Bordeaux-Montrieux

    Domaine René Borgeon

    Bouchard Père et Fils

    Bouchard Aîné et Fils

    Domaine Bouillard

    Domaine Jean-Marc Bouley

    Domaine Georges Boulon

    Bourée Père et Fils

    Domaine Denis Boussey

    Domaine Xavier Bouzerand

    Domaine Michel Bouzereau

    Domaine Hubert Bouzereau-Gruère

    Domaine Boyer-Martenot

    Domaine Guy Braillon

    Domaine Jean-Claude Brelière

    Domaine Bressand

    Domaine Michel Briday

    Domaine Luc Brintet et Frédéric Charles

    Domaine Marc Brocot

    Domaine des Brureaux

    Domaine de la Bruyère

    Domaine Georges Bryczek

    Domaine A. Buisson-Battault

    Alain Burguet

    Château de Byonne

    Domaine Jacques Cacheux-Blée et Fils

    Roger Caillot et Fils

    Château Cambon

    Domaine Camus

    Domaine Luc Camus

    Domaine Bernard Cantin

    Domaine Capitain-Gagnerot

    Domaine Capron-Manieux

    Domaine Louis Carillon

    Domaine Denis Carré

    Domaine Guy Castagnier

    Domaine Cathiard-Molinier

    Caves de Bailly

    Caves des Vignerons de Buxy

    Domaine Ceci

    Cellier des Samsons

    Château de la Chaize

    Domaine Yves Chaley

    Château de Chambolle-Musigny

    Domaine du Château de Chamilly

    Domaine Champagnon

    Domaine Bernard Champier

    Champy Père

    Domaine de la Chanaise

    Domaine Émil Chandesais

    Domaine Chandon de Briailles

    Domaine Chanson Père et Fils

    Chanut Frères

    Domaine Chanzy Frères-Domaine de l’Hermitage

    Domaine Maurice Chapuis

    Domaine François Charles

    Domaine Maurice Charleux

    Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot

    Domaine Jean-Marc Charmet

    Château de la Charrière

    Domaine Jean Chartron

    Chartron et Trébuchet

    Château de Chassagne-Montrachet

    Château du Chasselas

    F. Chauvenet

    Domaine Jean Chauvenet

    Domaine Anne-Marie Chavy

    Domaine des Chazelles

    Domaine de Chervin

    Domaine Chevalier Père et Fils

    Domaine Thomas la Chevalière

    Domaine Georges et Michel Chevillon

    Robert Chevillon

    Domaine Paul Chevrot

    Domaine Cheysson-Les-Fargues

    Domaine Georges Chicotot

    Domaine Michel Chignard

    Domaine Jean Chofflet

    Domaine André Chopin et Fils

    Domaine Daniel Chopin-Groffier

    Domaine Chouet-Clivet

    Domaine Bruno Clair

    Domaine Michel Clair

    Domaine Henri Clerc et Fils

    Domaine Georges Clerget

    Domaine Michel Clerget

    Domaine Raoul Clerget

    Domaine Yvon Clerget

    Domaine du Clos des Lambrays

    Domaine Michel Cluny et Fils

    Domaine Julien Coche-Debord

    Domaine J. F. Coche-Dury

    Domaine Fernand Coffinet

    Domaine Marc Colin

    Domaine Michel Colin

    Domaine Robert Colinot

    Domaine Jean Collet

    Domaine Les Colombiers

    Domaine de la Combe au Loup

    Domaine de la Condemine

    Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron

    Domaine J. Confuron-Cotetidot

    Domaine Evon et Chantai Contat-Grangé

    Cooperative La Chablisienne

    Cooperative Charnay-les-Mâcon

    Cooperative Clessé-la-Vigne-Blanche

    Cooperative Igé-Les-Vignerons d’Igé

    Cooperative Lugny

    Cooperative Mancey

    Cooperative Prissé

    Cooperative Viré

    Domaine Coquard-Loison-Fleurot

    Château de Corcelles

    Domaine Roger Cordier

    Château de Coreaux

    Domaine Claude Cornu

    Domaine Edmond Cornu

    Coron Père et Fils

    Domaine Corsin

    Domaine Guy Cotton

    Domaine de Madame de Courcel

    Domaine des Courlis

    Domaine Gérard Creusefond

    Domaine Louis Curveux

    Domaine Dalicieux

    Domaine Pierre Damoy

    Domaine Darnat

    Domaine Jean Dauvissat

    Domaine René & Vincent Dauvissat

    David et Foillard

    Domaine Jean Defaix

    Domaine Robert et Philippe Defrance

    Domaine Amédée Degrange

    Domaine Roger Delaloge

    Domaine Marius Delarche

    Domaine Georges Deléger

    Domaine Denis Père et Fils

    Domaine Jacques Depagneux

    Domaine André Depardon

    Domaine Desplaces Frères

    Vins Dessalle

    Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes

    Domaine des Deux Roches

    Domaine Jean-Pierre Diconne

    Domaine Diochon

    Domaine Gérard Doreau

    Domaine Doudet-Naudin

    Domaine Jean-Paul Droin

    Joseph Drouhin

    Domaine Drouhin-Larose

    Georges Duboeuf

    Domaine Roger Duboeuf et Fils

    Domaine P. Dubreuil-Fontaine et Fils

    Domaine Duchet

    Domaine des Ducs

    Dufouleur Père et Fils

    Domaine Pierre Dugat

    Domaine Dujac

    Domaine Duperon

    Domaine Marcel Duplessis

    Domaine Guillemard Dupont et Fils

    Domaine Michel Dupont-Fahn

    Domaine Dupont-Tisserandot

    Domaine Raymond Dupuis

    Domaine Jean et Yves Durand

    Domaine René Durand

    Domaine Jacques Durand-Roblot

    Domaine Dureuil-Janthial

    Domaine G. Duvernay

    Domaine Maurice Ecard et Fils

    Domaine de l’Eglantière

    Domaine René Engel

    Domaine M. Frédéric Esmonin

    Domaine Michel Esmonin

    Joseph Faiveley

    Domaine Jean Faurois

    Domaine Pierre Ferraud et Fils

    Domaine J. A. Ferret

    Vins Fessey

    Domaine Bernard Fèvre

    Domaine William Fèvre/Domaine de la Maladière/Ancien Domaine Auffray

    Domaine Fichet

    Domaine René Fleurot-Larose

    Domaine de la Folie

    Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard

    Domaine André Forest

    Domaine Forey Père et Fils

    Domaine Gabriel Fournier

    Domaine Jean-Claude Fourrier

    Domaine Marcel et Bernard Fribourg

    Château Fuissé

    Domaine G. A. E. C. de Chantemerle

    Domaine G. A. E. C. du Colombier

    Domaine G. A. E. C. du Clos du Roi

    Domaine G. F. A. de Combiaty

    Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard

    Domaine Gagnard-Delagrange

    Domaine Michel Gaidon

    Domaine Jean Garaudet

    Domaine du Gardin-Clos Salomon

    Domaine Michel Gaunoux

    Domaine Paul Gauthier

    Domaine Gay Père et Fils

    Domaine Geantet-Pansiot

    Domaine Geisweiler et Fils

    Domaine Pierre Gelin

    Domaine Louis Genillon

    Château Génot Boulanger

    Domaine Alain Geoffroy

    Domaine Lucien Geoffroy

    Domaine de la Gérarde

    Domaine François Gerbet

    Domaine Henri Germain

    Domaine Jacques Germain

    Maison Jean Germain

    Domaine Maurice and Jean-Michel Giboulot

    Domaine Emilian Gillet

    Domaine Girard-Vollot et Fils

    Domaine Armand Girardin

    Domaine Bernard Glantenay

    Gobet

    Domaine Laurent Goillot

    Domaine René Gonon

    Domaine Michel Goubard

    Domaine Henri Gouges

    Domaine Bertrand de Gramont

    Machard de Gramont

    Domaine de la Grand Cour

    Château du Grand Vernay

    Domaine des Grandes Bruyères

    Domaine des Granges

    Domaine Alain Gras

    Château de la Greffière

    Domaine Henri-Lucius Grégoire

    Domaine Albert Grivault

    Domaine Jean Grivot

    Domaine Robert Groffier

    Domaine Anne-Françoise Gros

    Domaine Jean Gros

    Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur

    Groupement de Producteurs de Prissé

    Domaine Claudius Guerin

    Domaine René Guerin

    Domaine Guffens-Heynen

    Domaine Pierre Guillemot

    Domaine Guillot

    Domaine Jean Guitton

    Domaine Antonin Guyon

    Domaine Hubert Guyot-Verpiot

    Domaine Haegelen-Jayer

    Château Philippe Le Hardi

    Domaine des Hautes-Cornières

    Domaine Heresztyn

    Domaine André L’Heritier

    Domaine L’Heritier-Guyot

    Domaine Hospices de Beaune

    Domaine Hospices de Nuits

    Domaine Alain Hudelot-Noëllat

    Domaine Bernard Hudelot-Verdel

    Domaine Huguenot Père et Fils

    Domaine Frederick Humbert

    Jaboulet-Vercherre

    Domaine Lucien Jacob

    Château des Jacques

    Paul et Henri Jacqueson

    Louis Jadot

    Jaffelin

    Domaine Jacky Janodet

    Domaine Patrick Javiller

    Domaine Georges Jayer

    Domaine Henri Jayer

    Domaine Jacqueline Jayer

    Domaine Robert Jayer-Gilles

    Domaine Jeannin-Naltet Père et Fils

    Domaine Jessiaume Père et Fils

    Domaine François Jobard

    Domaine Georges Jobert

    Domaine Joblot

    Domaine Jean-Luc Joillot-Porcheray

    Domaine Philippe Joliet

    Domaine Jean Joliot et Fils

    Domaine Pierre Jomard

    Domaine Michel Juillot

    Château de Juliénas

    Labouré-Roi

    Château des Labourons

    Domaine André et Bernard Labry

    Château de Lacarelle

    Domaine Henri Lafarge

    Domaine Michel Lafarge

    Domaine Comte Lafon

    Domaine Lafouge

    Domaine Lehaye Père et Fils

    Domaine Laleure-Piot

    Domaine Lamarche

    Domaine de la Cave Lamartine

    Lamblin et Fils

    Domaine Hubert Lamy

    Domaine Lamy-Pillot

    Domaine Edmund Laneyrie

    Domaine Hubert Lapierre

    Domaine Laroche

    Domaine Larue

    Domaine Roger Lassarat

    Domaine Jean Lathuilière

    Domaine Henri Latour

    Louis Latour

    Château de Latour-Bordon

    Domaine Latour-Giraud

    Domaine Roland Lavantureux

    Domaine Philippe Leclerc

    Domaine René Leclerc

    Domaine Leflaive

    Olivier Leflaive Frères

    Domaine François Legros

    Domaine Lejeune

    Domaine Lequin-Roussot

    Domaine Leroy

    Leroy-Négociant

    Domaine Thierry Lespinasse

    Domaine du Levant

    Domaine Georges Lignier

    Hubert Lignier

    Domaine A. Long-Depaquit

    Loron et Fils

    Domaine Lumpp Frères

    Lupé-Cholet

    Domaine Roger Luquet

    Lycée Agricole et Viticole

    Domaine du Duc de Magenta

    Domaine Henri Magnien

    Domaine Michel Magnien

    Domaine Maillard Père et Fils

    Domaine la Maison

    Domaine des Malandes

    Domaine Michel Mallard et Fils

    Domaine Maldant

    Château de la Maltroye

    Domaine Manciat-Poncet

    Domaine Manière-Noirot

    Domaine Yves Marceau Domaine de la Croix Gault

    Domaine Marchand-Grillot et Fils

    P. de Marcilly Frères

    Domaine Jean Marechal

    Domaine des Maronniers

    Domaine Maroslavac-Leger

    Domaine Tim Marshall

    Domaine Maurice Martin

    Domaine René Martin

    Les Vins Mathelin

    Domaine Mathias

    Domaine Joseph Matrot

    Domaine Maume

    Domaine Mazilly Père et Fils

    Domaine Meix Foulot

    Domaine Louis Menand Père et Fils

    Domaine Méo-Camuzet

    Château de Mercey

    Domaine Prince Florent de Mérode

    Domaine Mestre Père et Fils

    Château de Meursault

    Domaine Bernard Meziat

    Domaine Bernard Michel

    Domaine Louis Michel/Domaine de la Tour Vaubourg

    Domaine René Michel

    Domaine Alain Michelot

    Domaine Jean Michelot

    Domaine Michelot-Buisson

    Domaine M. Millet

    Domaine Raymond Millot et Fils

    Domaine Pierre Millot-Battault

    Domaine René et Christian Miolane

    P. Misserey

    Moillard

    Domaine Daniel Moine-Hudelot

    Domaine de la Monette

    Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret

    Domaine Jean Monnier et Fils

    Domaine René Monnier

    Domaine Jean-Pierre Monnot

    Domaine de Montbellet

    Château de Monthélie

    Domaine Monthélie-Douhairet

    Domaine Hubert de Montille

    Domaine Henri Morconi

    Domaine Bernard Moreau

    Domaine Jean Moreau

    Domaine J. Moreau et Fils

    Domaine Bernard Morey

    Domaine Jean-Marc Morey

    Domaine Marc Morey

    Domaine Pierre Morey

    Domaine Albert Morot

    Domaine Denis Mortet

    Domaine Jean Mortet

    Domaine Mosnier

    Château du Moulin-à-Vent

    Domaine Gérard Mouton

    Domaine Gérard et René Mugneret

    Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg

    Domaine Guy Mugnier-La-P’tiote Cave

    Domaine Gabriel Muskovac

    Domaine André Mussy

    Philippe Naddef

    Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand

    Domaine Newman

    Domaine Michel Niellon

    Domaine P. M. Ninot-Cellier-Meix-Guillaume

    Domaine Gilles Noblet

    Domaine Michel Noëllat

    Domaine André Nudant et Fils

    Domaine Parent

    Domaine Parigot Père et Fils

    Domaine Jean Pascal et Fils

    Pasquier-Desvignes

    Domaine Alain Passot

    Patriarche Père et Fils

    Baron Patrick

    Domaine Pavelot

    Domaine Pavelot-Glantenay

    Domaine Pavillon de Chavannes

    Domaine Joseph Pellerin

    Domaine André Pelletier

    Domaine des Perdrix

    Domaine Pernin-Rossin

    Domaine Paul Pernot

    Domaine Les Perrières

    Domaine Noël Perrin

    Domaine Perrin-Ponsot

    Domaine Henri Perrot-Minot

    Domaine André Philippon

    Piat Père et Fils

    Domaine des Pierres Blanches

    Domaine des Pierres Rouges

    Château de Perreux

    Domaine des Pillets

    Domaine Fernand Pillot

    Domaine Paul Pillot

    Louis Pinson

    Domaine Pitoiset-Urena

    Château de Pizay

    Domaine Jean Podor

    Château de Pommard

    Domaine Ponsot

    Domaine Pothier-Rieusset

    Domaine Michel Pouhin-Seurre

    Domaine de la Poulette

    Domaine de la Pousse d’Or

    Domaine Jacques Prieur

    Domaine Maurice Prieur

    Domaine Prieur-Brunet

    Domaine du Prieuré (Lugny)

    Domaine du Prieuré (Rully)

    Domaine du Prieuré (Savigny Les Beaune)

    Domaine Propriete des Vignes

    Prosper-Maufoux

    Domaine Maurice Protheau et Fils

    Domaine Henri Prudhon

    Domaine Michel Prunier

    Domaine Roger Prunier

    Domaine Max Quenot Fils et Meuneveaux

    Domaine Charles Quillardet

    Quinson

    Domaine Ragot

    Domaine Ramonet

    Château de Raousset

    Domaine Rapet Père et Fils

    Domaine Gaston et Pierre Ravaut

    Domaine François et Jean-Marie Raveneau

    Domaine Rebougeon-Mure

    Domaine Henri Rebourseau

    A. Regnard et Fils

    La Reine Pedauque

    Remoissenet Père et Fils

    Domaine Henri Remoriquet

    Domaine des Remparts

    Domaine Louis Remy

    Domaine de la Renarde

    Domaine Henri Richard

    Domaine Riger-Briset

    Domaine Bernard Rion Père et Fils

    Domaine Daniel Rion

    Domaine de Roally

    Domaine Guy Robin

    Domaine de la Roche

    Domaine André la Rochette

    Domaine Joel Rochette

    Antonin Rodet

    Domaine Maurice Rollin Père et Fils

    Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

    Domaine Frères

    Domaine Michel Rossignol

    Domaine Philippe Rossignol

    Domaine Régis Rossignol-Changarnier

    Domaine Joseph Roty

    Domaine Rougeot

    Domaine Emanuel Rouget

    Domaine Guy Roulot

    Domaine Georges Roumier

    Domaine Hervé Roumier

    Domaine Michel du Roure

    Domaine Armand Rousseau

    Domaine Roux Père et Fils

    Domaine Roy Frères

    Domaine Roy Père et Fils

    Domaine Ruet

    Château de Rully

    Domaine de Rully Saint-Michel

    Domaine de Ruyère

    Domaine Fabian et Louis Saier

    Domaine Francis Saillant

    Domaine Sainte-Claire

    Domaine Jean-Louis Santé

    Paul Sapin

    Domaine Robert Sarrau-Caves de l’Ardières

    Château de la Saule

    Domaine Étienne Sauzet

    Domaine Savoye

    Domaine René Savoye

    Domaine Daniel Senard

    Domaine Christian Serafin

    Domaine Bernard Serveau

    Domaine Servelle-Tachot

    Domaine Maurice et Hervé Sigaut

    Domaine Simon Fils

    Simmonet-Febvre

    Domaine Robert Sirugue

    Domaine de la Sorbière

    Domaine Luc Sorin

    Domaine Albert Sothier

    Domaine Suremain

    Domaine Talmard

    Domaine Jean Tardy

    Domaine J. Taupenot-Merme

    Domaine Philippe Testut

    Domaine Raymond et Michel Tête

    Domaine Thenard

    Domaine Jean Thevenet

    Domaine René Thévenin-Monthelie et Fils

    Domaine Thevenot-Le-Brun et Fils

    Château Thivin

    Domaine Gérard Thomas

    Domaine Tollot-Beaut et Fils

    Domaine Francis Tomatis et Fils

    Domaine Tortochot

    Château de la Tour

    Domaine de la Tour Bajole

    Château des Tours

    Domaine Louis Trapet

    Domaine Gérard Tremblay-Domaine des Îles

    Trenel et Fils

    Domaine Michel Tribolet

    Domaine Georges Trichard

    Domaine J. Truehot-Martin

    Domaine Jean Vachet

    Domaine G. Vachet-Rousseau

    Domaine Valls-Laboureau

    Domaine des Varoilles

    Domaine Bernard Vaudoisey-Mutin

    Domaine de Vauroux

    Domaine des Velanges

    Domaine Alain Verdet

    Domaine Lucien et Robert Verger

    Domaine Veuve-Steinmaier et Fils

    Domaine des Vignes des Demoiselles

    Domaine Thierry Vigot

    Domaine A. P. de Villaine

    Domaine Henri de Villamont

    Domainé Rene Virely-Arcelain

    Domaine Bernard Virely-Rougeot

    Domaine L. Vitteau-Alberti

    Domaine Émile Voarick

    Domaine Michel Voarick

    Domaine Robert Vocoret et Fils

    Domaine Alain Voegeli

    Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé

    Domaine Joseph Voillot

    Domaine Leni Volpato

    Domaine de Vuril

    André Ziltener Père et Fils

    PART TWO: THE VILLAGES AND APPELLATIONS OF BURGUNDY

    Chablis

    Côte de Nuits

    Marsanny and Fixin

    Gevrey-Chambertin

    Morey St.-Denis

    Chambolle-Musigny

    Vougeot

    Vosne-Romanée and Flagey-Echézeaux

    Nuits St.-Georges

    Côte de Beaune

    Ladoix-Serrigny

    Aloxe-Corton

    Pernand-Vergelesses

    Savigny-Lès-Beaune

    Chorey-Lès-Beaune

    Beaune

    Pommard

    Volnay

    Monthélie

    Auxey-Duresses

    Saint-Romain

    Meursault

    Puligny-Montrachet

    Chassagne-Montrachet

    Saint-Aubin

    Santenay

    Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

    Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

    Côte Chalonnaise

    Bouzeron

    Rully

    Mercurey

    Givry

    Montagny

    Mâconnais

    Beaujolais

    Saint-Amour

    Juliénas

    Chénas

    Moulin-à-Vent

    Fleurie

    Chiroubles

    Morgon

    Régnié

    Brouilly

    Côte de Brouilly

    Côteaux de Lyonnais

    PART THREE: THE VINTAGES (1945-1989)

    APPENDIX: STAR RATINGS OF THE GROWERS AND PRODUCERS

    INDEX

    A List of the Maps of Burgundy

    Burgundy, 64

    Chablis, 382

    Côtes de Nuits, 396

    Fixin, 397

    Gevrey-Chambertin, 402

    Morey St.-Denis, 417

    Chambolle-Musigny and Vougeot, 425

    Flagey-Echézeaux and Vosne-Romanée, 444

    Nuits St.-Georges, 456

    Prémeaux-Prissey, 462

    Côte de Beaune, 465

    Ladoix-Serrigny, 468

    Aloxe-Corton, 472

    Pernand-Vergelesses, 480

    Savigny-Lès-Beaune, 490

    Chorey-Lès-Beaune, 497

    Beaune, 502

    City of Beaune, 506

    Pommard, 513

    Volnay, 521

    Monthélie and Auxey-Duresses, 530

    Saint-Romain, 540

    Meursault, 544

    Puligny-Montrachet, 554

    Chassagne-Montrachet, 570

    Saint-Aubin, 578

    Santenay, 584

    Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, 593

    Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, 594

    Côte Chalonnais, 600

    Mâconnais, 622

    Beaujolais, 630

    Strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and plum predominate in the young wine, but as it ages, the cherry becomes more scented, the plums turn to prunes, chocolate and woodsmoke and figs mingle with truffles and over-hung game and the decayed stink of old vegetables.

    —Oz Clarke Sainsbury’s Regional Wine Guide

    Fine, mature burgundy is velvety, usually quite alcoholic, often heady. And even young, immature burgundy does not have the swingeingly tannic dryness, the astringency of red bordeaux.

    —Michael Broadbent The Great Vintage Wine Book

    Burgundy has great genius. It does wonders within its period; it does all except to keep up in the race; it is short-lived.

    —George Meredith The Egoist

    Great burgundy smells of shit. It is most surprising, but the French recognized long ago, ça sent la merde and ça sent le purin being common expressions of the Côte.

    —Anthony Hanson Burgundy

    Burgundy has the advantage—to which a young palate is particularly sensitive—of a clear, direct appeal, immediately pleasing and easy to comprehend on a primary level…. Burgundy is a lovely thing when you can get anybody to buy it for you.

    —A. J. Liebling Between Meals

    Burgundy is an easier wine to taste, judge, and understand than bordeaux.

    —Hugh Johnson Modern Encyclopedia of Wine

    I rejoiced in Burgundy. How can I describe it. For centuries every language has been strained to define its beauty, and has produced only wild conceits or the stock epithets of the trade.

    —Evelyn Waugh Brideshead Revisited

    The legendary wine-producing area in eastern France known as Burgundy encompasses five basic regions. The most renowned and prestigious wines emerge from either Chablis or the Côte d’Or, which encompasses the two famous golden slopes called the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. Immediately south of the Côte d’Or are the potentially promising, largely unexplored Côte Chalonnaise and the vast, well-known and exploited Mâconnais area, both of which are within the geographic department the French call Saône-et-Loire. Lastly, there is Beaujolais, the most southern viticultural region, ironically located within the Department of the Rhône, but historically considered part of Burgundy.

    The continental climate of Burgundy is significantly different from the maritime climate of Bordeaux, which is located on the Atlantic Ocean in western France. While the microclimates of Bordeaux are shaped by the ocean to the west and the giant Gironde River that divides the region in half, there are no rivers in Burgundy that significantly affect the climate. Burgundy, as a result, suffers more than Bordeaux from the significant rainfall that is often carried on the prevailing west winds that buffet the area. There are also devastating hailstorms. While such storms are not uncommon in Bordeaux, in Burgundy they can reach catastrophic proportions, particularly when triggered by the high heat and humidity of August. The hailstones cause the vines to shed their foliage, scar the grape skins, and promote the growth of rot. These hailstorms are particularly common in the northern half of the Côte d’Or, particularly in the Côte de Nuits. Balancing these negative weather factors is the northerly latitude of Burgundy, which provides for longer hours of daylight than Bordeaux. Anyone who has spent a summer evening in Burgundy will undoubtedly remember the 10:00-10:30 P.M. sunset. As a result, Burgundy receives almost as much sunlight as Bordeaux, located hundreds of miles to the southwest with an undoubtedly hotter, more stable maritime climate. Burgundy, in order to attain a top vintage, must have dry, sunny (not necessarily torrid) days from the beginning of September onward. Historically, Burgundy’s finest vintages have been those when July and August were dry and warm, and September spectacular. While windy, cold, damp weather in June often reduces the size of the crop (Chablis has notoriously unpredictable weather in late spring and is particularly vulnerable), poor weather early will have no bearing on the vintage’s quality if July, August, and September are generally dry and warm. Of these three months, September is the most important because cold or wet weather during this month will dilute the grapes, lower acidities and sugar, and promote the growth of rot. No wonder the vignerons in Burgundy say, "Juin fait la quantité et septembre fait la qualité," meaning June makes the quantity and September makes the quality.

    When Mother Nature cooperates, the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes excel in such a frosty northerly latitude due to the kimmeridge clay/limestone soil. In Chablis, this soil and its cousin, the portlandian limestone, are ideal for Chardonnay. The famed Côte d’Or, which for many connoisseurs of Burgundy is that region’s beginning and end, is essentially a limestone ridge representing the eastern edge of a calcareous plateau that empties into the Saône River basin. The northern half, the Côte de Nuits, has an easterly orientation that gradually shifts toward a more southeasterly exposure. This ridge runs for about 31 miles between Marsannay and Santenay. In the Côte Chalonnaise, the limestone ridge begins to break up into a chain of small hills that have limestone subsoils with clay/sand topsoils that are occasionally enriched with iron deposits. However, the underlying limestone strata are still present and continue not only through the Côte Chalonnaise but also through the pastoral, rolling hills of the neighboring Mâconnais region, giving way finally to the granite-based soils of the Beaujolais region.

    Each of Burgundy’s five major wine-producing regions possesses an identity and character that I have attempted to capture in this book. With a production of nearly 1,200,000 cases of Chardonnay a year, Chablis, the most northern of Burgundy’s famed wine regions, perplexingly remains a mystery wine. No doubt the multitude of styles of wine produced, in addition to the fact that the name Chablis has been reprehensibly bastardized throughout the world, have combined to cause many consumers to turn their noses at the mention of Chablis. Nevertheless, there are seven Grands Crus of Chablis that are capable of producing hauntingly intense wines with extraordinary precision and clarity to their flavors. There are also more than two dozen principal Premiers Crus, several meriting Grand Cru status, and a number undeserving of their Premier Cru status. All of this translates into confusion—making Chablis the most enigmatic wine region of Burgundy.

    The Côte d’Or, or golden slope (so named not because the wines produced there are worth their weight in gold, but because of the deep golden brown color of the vineyards in autumn), is surely the most thoroughly scrutinized and inspected stretch of real estate in the world. Historically, the monks of the Abbey of Cîteaux first exploited these hills. But over the last 150 years, the French government has examined every field, valley, crevice, and outcropping, and determined that only 31 vineyards in a 31-mile stretch of limestone are capable of producing Grand Cru red and white burgundy. Just over 300 of these fields were deemed suitable enough to produce Premier Cru red and white burgundies. If the French government had not chosen to painstakingly inspect and classify the tens of thousands of fields that make up this golden slope, and if the vast estates of the church and wealthy landowners had not been dismantled during France’s 1789 revolution, today’s fragmented world of Burgundy might resemble Bordeaux, with its huge châteaux and giant vineyards.

    Why Burgundy, and in particular the Côte d’Or, is so excruciatingly difficult to comprehend is best illustrated by the complexity of one of the golden slope’s most hallowed Grand Cru vineyards, Clos Vougeot. This 124-acre vineyard has 77 different proprietors. Some of them sell their wines to large brokers to be blended with Clos Vougeot from other producers. At least three dozen growers estate-bottle their production. In short, the consumer is confronted with nearly four dozen different versions of Clos Vougeot. All of it is entitled to Grand Cru status, all of it is frighteningly expensive, yet only a small percentage of the wines could ever be described as sublime or celestial. Imagine, if you can, 77 different growers/producers making wine at the famous 125-acre Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, or the 120-acre Château Latour in Bordeaux. Clos Vougeot is the Côte d’Or’s most distressingly chaotic vineyard to fathom, but its fragmented ownership and enormous range of wine quality typify Burgundy.

    South of the Côte d’Or is the Côte Chalonnaise, today’s best source for reasonably priced, well-made red and white burgundies. In the nineties consumers will need to take advantage of this viticultural region if they are intent on drinking affordable French red or white burgundy. Two-thirds of the vineyards are planted with Pinot Noir, a grape that has demonstrated a fondness for the clay subsoils of the area. The top Chardonnay vineyards are planted in chalky, limestone soils. This is an exciting area to watch as evidenced by the significant investments made in the Côte Chalonnaise by several of the Côte d’Or’s leading producers.

    The Mâconnais region lies to the south of the Côte Chalonnaise. It is a pastoral landscape with small ridges broken up by tree-topped hillsides. It is primarily white wine country as the chalky, limestone soil there is ideal for producing fresh, exuberant whites from the Chardonnay grape. Red wine is also made in the Mâconnais, but it is generally insipid and feeble.

    When the hillsides of the Mâconnais turn into small mountains, blanketed with vineyards and ranging in height from 2,300 to 3,500 feet, you are in Beaujolais. The landscape is not the only major change in evidence here; the red wine grape also changes from Pinot Noir to Camay. In the sandy, stony, schistous soil of these hillsides, the world’s fruitiest, freshest, and most exuberant red wine is produced in oceanic quantities, and is generally drunk within hours of purchase. I have never been able to comprehend why Beaujolais is considered part of Burgundy (officially it is within France’s Department of the Rhône), but historically it is.

    The grapes of Burgundy are well known. The great reds are the result of only one grape—the Pinot Noir, the most fickle and difficult grape from which to cultivate and produce wine. While it buds and ripens early, its thin, fragile skin makes it highly vulnerable to rot and mildew. Although it likes warmth, it will shed much of its aromatic character, flavor, dimension, and precision when it is grown in too hot a climate. It is a grape that can offer an astoundingly complex bouquet and flavor, but rarely provides great color. To those weaned on Bordeaux or California Cabernet, red burgundy must indeed look suspiciously feeble. However, new techniques, including the controversial extended cold maceration prior to fermentation, seem to suggest that the Pinot Noir can produce deeply colored wines under certain circumstances.

    In Burgundy, if the Pinot Noir fails, the red wine producers have no recourse to other grapes. Contrast that with the situation in Bordeaux where four major red grape varietals may be employed in a number of different proportions. If the Merlot crop is diluted because of rain, the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon can be increased, or other grapes, such as Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot, can be used to augment the blend. In short, intelligent blending can still produce a very fine wine if one varietal fails. In Burgundy, however, the grower lives or dies with the Pinot Noir.

    The only other red wine grape to be found in Burgundy is the Camay. It is widely planted in the Mâconnais area and generally produces vapid wines. However, it is responsible for the delicious, crunchy, fruity, exuberant red wines of Beaujolais. It is not capable of producing longlived wines, although a handful of producers who possess old vines and discourage high yields can make Beaujolais, particularly from the cru Moulin-à-Vent, that can last up to a decade. For the majority of producers, however, the Gamay’s strengths are its prolific yields, and its ability, when fermented via the carbonic maceration method, to routinely turn out extremely fresh, profitable wines that can be drunk within months of the grape harvest.

    As for Burgundy’s white wine grapes, the Chardonnay is king. The great white burgundies are the standard-bearers for the rest of the world. The tiny fields of Corton-Charlemagne, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Meursault produce wines that are emulated by many, equalled by few, surpassed by none. The Chardonnay grape thrives in Burgundy’s limestone soil and, unlike the Pinot Noir, seems capable of producing decent wine even during exceptionally wet harvest months. All of the growers and producers acknowledge that it is easy to make good Chardonnay, but exceedingly rare to produce compelling, great Chardonnay.

    The white wine grape Aligoté is also found in Burgundy. At its worst, it is lean, mean, acidic, and nasty. At its best, Aligoté represents an excellent value and delicious wine at a budget price. Pinot Blanc is occasionally planted. It often tends to be too heavy, but there are some good examples, particularly in the Côte de Nuits. There is also Pinot Gris, frequently called Pinot Beurot. Personally, I would like to see more Pinot Gris made in Burgundy since the examples I have tasted are fascinating.

    Geologists believe the limestone shelf now called the Côte d’Or was formed over 150 million years ago, well before man appeared on the scene. During what is called the Jurassic Period (between 135 and 195 million years ago), the geological face of Burgundy began to take shape. Formed during this epoch were the petrified remains of sea life, compressed over time with a calcareous mudstone, as well as the rock that resulted from the precipitation of lime from the seawater that then covered Burgundy. The limestone rocks sprinkled with marlstone comprise the backbone of the various hillsides and most renowned vineyard sites of not only the Côte d’Or, but also the slopes of Chablis, the Côte Chalonnaise, and the Maconnais.

    Viticulture is believed to have been launched in Burgundy by either the Greeks or the Romans. There was a thriving Greek settlement at Marseilles around 600 B.C., leading some observers to surmise that the Greeks, travelling through the Rhône Valley, were responsible for the vineyards planted along the hillsides of the Rhône River as well as those further north in Burgundy. Other observers claim that viticulture was brought to Burgundy by the Romans, whose influence can be seen in the architectural ruins that archaeologists have unearthed. In 52 B.C. Julius Caesar destroyed the 250,000-man army of Gaul led by Vercingetorix, thus consolidating Roman rule. Along with Caesar’s legions and his conquest of Gaul came a degree of stability and civilization that provided the necessary economy to foster the production of wine. It would be unlikely that the Romans, who adored wine, would not encourage vineyard development and wine production in a territory so far from their home vineyards. However, the absence of any hard evidence makes such theories conjectural.

    While the Greeks or Romans probably planted the first vineyards in Burgundy, it was the advent of Christianity and the flourishing of the church that brought Burgundy to its ascendency. The Benedictine order of Cluny in the Mâconnais, founded in the tenth century by the Duc d’Aquitaine, was the dominant monastic order of Burgundy. Historians have long wondered whether the Duc d’Aquitaine’s gift to the Benedictine monks of Cluny was inspired by bad-faith power politics, or was simply a charitable donation. Clearly the Duc realized that the Benedictines controlled more than 1,500 monasteries throughout Europe and were as powerful an entity as any government of the time. Until the French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century, the Abbey of Cluny was one of the greatest religious centers in Europe as well as an immense political and economic power.

    In 1098 A.D., another Benedictine order, the Cistercians, was established at the Abbey of Cîteaux in a desolate area just to the east of the village of Nuits St.-Georges. This village, and its wine, was to be unwaveringly tied to the influence and prosperity of the church until the French Revolution of 1789.

    The new abbey at Cîteaux was governed according to the fundamental teachings of St. Benedict. The monks’ religious enthusiasm and work ethic were renowned. They believed in a spartan lifestyle and physically exhausting hard labor. This philosophy apparently led to the Cistercians’ decision to cultivate the poor, infertile, rocky soil of what today is known as the Côte d’Or. This stretch of limestone hillsides had long proved unsuitable for crops, but the Cistercians, with their commitment to back-breaking labor, believed the vine could be cultivated and quality wine produced. While it may have been just good fortune, it seems more likely that the shrewd monks realized all too well that the production of quality wine, and its presence on the finest tables of Europe, was of greater influence than their most articulate and persuasive diplomat.

    The expansion and empire building of the ecclesiastic orders in Burgundy was impressive, even by today’s standards. In 1141 A.D. the nuns of the Cistercian Abbey of Notre Dame du Tart purchased a vineyard in Morey St.-Denis which became known as the Clos de Tart. It remained under their control until the French Revolution. The Cistercians also launched a branch of their order at the Clos de Vougeot. They had no way of knowing that hundreds of years later that particular vineyard would become part of an elaborate appellation system imposed on all of the best winemaking regions of France. France’s appellation system, inaugurated in the twentieth century, established guidelines for the production of wine, a qualitative hierarchy based on a vineyard’s potential, as well as the price for which the wine would sell. It was considered a revolutionary concept, but in hindsight, hardly original. For example, the monks had their own notions about the quality of wine from their vineyards at Clos de Vougeot. The wine from the lower slopes of the Clos de Vougeot was called the Cuvées des Moines (the cuvée for the monks). The wine from the superior middle slopes was called Cuvées des Rois (or cuvée for the kings), and the wine from the top slopes (the finest parcels) of the Clos de Vougeot (which now abut the neighboring Grands Crus of Musigny and Grands Echézeaux) was called the Cuvée des Papes (cuvée for the popes). One of the most frequently heard arguments today is that the lower, flat ground of the Clos de Vougeot should not be entitled to Grand Cru status as it is incapable of making wine as profound as that from the top slopes. The monks, with their three separate cuvées of Clos Vougeot, apparently realized this eight centuries ago.

    These religious orders controlled much of the wine that was shipped to the government in Paris, principally because France’s other renowned viticultural region, Bordeaux, was at that time controlled by the English. The market for claret was in London, not Paris.

    The height of Burgundy’s power, historically referred to as the Golden Age, was from the middle of the fourteenth century to the middle of the fifteenth century. During this era, the great dukes of Burgundy controlled not only Burgundy, but also the majority of northern France and large portions of what is now Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. This period witnessed an extraordinary flourishing of art, architecture, and music. The reputation the dukes of Burgundy had for enjoying all things fine and expensive has been largely unsurpassed, even by the most materialistic, excessive dictators of the twentieth century. Under the dukes, the huge monastic orders prospered. They were the beneficiaries of large land grants, and were encouraged by the dukes to build great abbeys and cathedrals. To no one’s surprise, the church’s chief worldly export, wine, prospered as well.

    There were four great dukes during this one-hundred-year eat, drink, and be merry reign of good fortune. Philip the Bold (1364-1404), the first of these powerful dukes, obviously possessed a fine palate because in 1395 he ordered the Gamay grape to be pulled up and replaced by Pinot Noir. Philip was followed by his son, John the Fearless (1404-1419), who was assassinated by his political opponents. He was succeeded by Philip the Good (1419-1467). Primarily known as the duke who turned over France’s greatest heroine, Joan of Arc, to the English, Philip was a staunch defender and aggressive promoter of the wines of Burgundy. In 1441, he declared that the flat, poorly drained fields surrounding Dijon were legally off limits for planting Pinot Noir. He was also reputed to have frequently claimed that Burgundy was far superior to its rival to the southwest, Bordeaux. Philip the Good named Nicolas Rolin as his Chancellor. When Rolin died in 1443, he had amassed a considerable estate, which he bequeathed to the Hôtel Dieu in Beaune. Today, this building, part of the Hospices de Beaune, is a hospital that survives on money from the sale of wine produced from donated vineyards. Burgundy’s power and influence reached its zenith under the last of the great dukes, Charles the Bold (1467-1477). Charles’ undoing was his unending belligerence. When he was killed in battle in 1477 and his army destroyed, the era in which the dukes of Burgundy had enjoyed such great wealth, power, and independence came to an end.

    I suspect modern-day Burgundy bears little resemblance to the Burgundy of the great dukes. The French Revolution of 1789 fundamentally altered the landscape of Burgundy, tearing apart most of the gigantic wine estates owned by the wealthy and the monastic orders. Subsequently, the Napoleonic-Sallic Code increased the fragmentation of Burgundy’s vineyards. This code required that upon the death of a parent, the land be divided equally among all sons. With each new generation, Burgundy’s lands became more and more fragmented, each parcel of land owned by a different person. Today’s Burgundy is, therefore, distressingly difficult to grasp and comprehend. This multiple ownership of the same vineyard reaches its preposterous, dizzyingly frustrating absurdity with the great vineyard of Clos Vougeot, which possesses 124 acres and 77-plus landowners. One hardly needs to be reminded of the infinite number of variations in quality that can occur from the same vineyard when the wine is made by as many as six dozen different producers.

    In the late nineteenth century, Burgundy was ravaged by the phylloxera epidemic that devastated all of Europe’s vineyards. While Burgundy did escape serious damage during World War I, the area was occupied by Germany during World War II. In late 1944 and early 1945, there were some small but fierce battles between the Allied forces and the retreating Germans, particularly in the Côte de Beaune. An endearing story of a French commander has emerged from the skirmishes of the last years of World War II. The commander apparently delayed his attack on the retreating Germans for fear of damaging the best Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards of Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, and Meursault. When he was subsequently apprised that the Germans were occupying only the lower slopes, or those vineyards not entitled to Premier Cru or Grand Cru status, he immediately ordered his soldiers to attack the German positions.

    In order to facilitate the reader’s understanding of the world’s most complicated wine region, I have divided the balance and heart of this book into three closely related parts. The first and most important part of this trilogy is an alphabetical listing of the major as well as many minor producers, the wines they produce, and an overview of the quality and style of wine that emerge from their cellars. One thing I have irrefutably learned in the years of research that went into this book is that it is the grower/producer who makes all the difference in Burgundy. Without a thorough understanding of who are the better producers, there is absolutely no possibility of finding the best bottles of Santenay, Mâcon-Villages, Moulin-à-Vent, Chambertin, etc.

    The second part of the book addresses the different appellations of Burgundy, starting in the north with Chablis and working south through the Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, the Mâconnais, and concluding with Beaujolais. I have tried to highlight the most salient features of each Villages or appellation, pointing out those producers who merit the most attention for their exemplary efforts. At the same time, I have chosen not to ignore many famous producers whose commitment to quality leaves a great deal to be desired. I have also been cognizant of the need, where possible, to point out the best values. At least in the Côte d’Or, burgundy is not a wine that one associates with the word bargain. However, certain Villages do satisfy both the palate and the purse. The sketches of the different Villages and appellations supplement the information about the specific growers. These village portraits are designed to give the reader a basic understanding of what to expect from each area’s wines. I have not ignored the region’s best restaurants and hotels, because Burgundy is one of the most fascinating and rewarding areas of the world to visit. It has as many art treasures and architectural wonders as any part of France. It is also France’s gastronomic center, and possesses what I consider the best cooking available in a country known the world over for its exacting culinary standards. I believe the restaurants and hotels add a dimension to the book that allows the visitor to share some of the same wonderful experiences my wife and I have enjoyed over the years.

    The third section of this trilogy is the assessment of vintages from 1945 through 1989. Specific tasting notes are provided for the wines from the vintages of 1988, 1987, 1986, 1985, and 1983. In a real sense, only the tasting notes for 1988, 1987, 1986, and 1985 are of any practical use since the wines from the other vintages have, for all intents and purposes, long disappeared from the marketplace. Lamentably, I think that most of the best 1985s have disappeared as well. It is important to share these tasting notes in order to demonstrate to the reader how I thought the wines were showing, what they tasted like, and how they fared vis-à-vis their peer group. There are also summaries of the other vintages, including the most prominent and most disappointing wines.

    EVALUATING WINES

    How I evaluate wines has been well documented in my other writings, but it is important that it be restated.

    It goes without saying that in evaluating wines professionally, proper glasses and correct serving temperature of the wine must be prerequisites to any objective and meaningful tasting. Traditionally, the best glasses for critical tasting have been those approved by the International Standards Organization. Called the ISO glass, it is tulip shaped and has been designed for tasting. However, in my office I have begun to use new glasses developed in France several years ago. Called Les Impitoyables (the pitiless), they are without question the finest tasting glasses ever designed. Much larger than the ISO glass, the Impitoyables glasses exaggerate the wine’s bouquet, making flaws or defects much easier to spot. They are not good glasses to drink from because their opening is so narrow, but for critical evaluation, they have no equals. As for the temperature of the wine, 60°-62° F is best for red and white burgundies. If the temperature is too warm, the bouquet becomes diffuse and the taste muddled and flat. If the temperature is too cold, there is no discernible bouquet and the flavors are completely locked in by the chilling effect on the wine.

    When I examine a wine critically, there is both a visual and physical examination. Against a white background the wine is first given a visual exam for its brilliance, richness, and intensity of color. For red burgundies color is significantly less important than it is for Bordeaux, Rhônes, or California Cabernets. However, all the great vintages of red burgundy, when young, traditionally share a rich, medium ruby color, whereas the poorer vintages often have weaker, less intense ruby colors due to poor weather and rain. Certainly, in 1978, 1985, and 1988 the general color of the red wines was moderately dark. In 1982, 1984, and 1986 it was medium to light ruby.

    In looking at an older wine, the rim of the wine next to the glass should be examined for amber, orange, rusty, and brown colors. These are signs of maturity and are normal. When they appear in a good vintage of a serious red burgundy under 3 or 4 years old something is awry. For example, young wines that have been sloppily made and exposed to unclean barrels or air will mature at an accelerated rate and take on the look of old wines when young. Grey rot, a common problem in Burgundy, particularly in vintages such as 1983 and 1986, will cause a 3- or 4-year-old burgundy to rapidly lose its color and take on a brownish orange hue. The rot eats away at the coloring matter, and the more rampant it is in a wine, the quicker the wine will lose its color.

    In addition to looking at the color of the wines, I examine the legs of the wine, which are the tears or residue of the wine that run down the inside of the glass. Rich vintages tend to have good legs because the grapes are rich in glycerols and alcohol-producing sugar, giving the wine a viscosity that causes this tearing effect. Examples of vintages that produced wines with good to excellent legs would be 1978, 1985, 1988, and 1989.

    After the visual examination is completed, the actual physical examination of the wine takes place. The physical exam is composed of two parts: the smell of the wine, which depends on the olfactory senses, and the taste of the wine, which is tested on the palate. After swirling a wine, the nose must be placed into the glass (not the wine) to smell the aromas that the wine is exuding. This is an extremely critical step because the aroma of the wine will tell the examiner the ripeness and richness of the underlying fruit, the state of maturity, and whether there is anything unclean or suspicious about the wine. No responsible professional taster understates the significance of a wine’s aromas. Émile Peynaud, in his classic book on wine tasting, Le Gout du Vin (Bordas, 1983), states that there are nine principal categories of wine aromas. They are:

    animal odors: smells of game, beef, venison;

    balsamic odors: smells of pine trees, resin, vanilla;

    woody odors: smells of new wood of oak barrels;

    chemical odors: smells of acetone, mercaptan, yeasts, hydrogen sulfide, lactic and fermentation odor;

    spicy odors: smells of pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, truffles, anise, mint;

    empyreumatic odors: smells of crème brulée, smoke, toast, leather, coffee;

    floral odors: smells of flowers, violets, roses, lilacs, jasmine;

    fruity odors: smells of blackcurrants, raspberries, cherries, plums, apricots, peaches, figs;

    vegetable odors: smells of herbs, tea, mushrooms, vegetables.

    The presence or absence of any of these aromas, their intensity, their complexity, their persistence, all serve to create the bouquet or nose of a wine that can be said to be distinguished and interesting, or flawed and simple.

    Once the wine’s aroma has been examined thoroughly, the wine is simultaneously tasted and inhaled to release the aromas. The weight, richness, depth, balance, and length of a wine are apparent from the tactile impression the wine leaves on the palate. Sweetness is experienced on the tip of the tongue, saltiness just behind the tongue’s tip, acidity on the sides, and bitterness at the back. Most professional tasters will spit the wine out, although some wine is swallowed in the process. The finish or length of a wine, its ability to give off aromas and flavors even though it is no longer on the palate, is the major difference between a good young wine and a great young wine. When the flavor and the aroma of the wine seem to last and last on the palate, it is usually a great, rich wine that has just been tasted. The compelling wines from great vintages are always characterized by a purity, opulence, richness, depth, and ripeness of grapes. When such wines also have sufficient tannin and acidity, a good balance is struck. It is these characteristics that separate many a great 1985 or 1978 from a good 1987 or 1980.

    RATING THE PRODUCERS AND GROWERS

    Who’s who in the world of wine becomes readily apparent after years of tasting and visiting the vineyards and wine cellars of the world’s producers and growers. Great producers are, unfortunately, still quite rare, but with new technology and increased knowledge, good wine is being produced more frequently than before. All the producers in this book are evaluated using a five-star system, five stars and an outstanding rating to those producers deemed to be the very best, four stars to those who are excellent, three stars to good producers, and two stars or one star to average and below average producers. Since the aim of the book is to provide you with the names of the very best producers, the content is dominated by the top producers rather than the less successful ones.

    Those few growers and producers who have received five-star ratings make the world’s finest wines. They have been selected for this rating because of two reasons: They make the greatest wines, and they are remarkably consistent and reliable even in mediocre and poor vintages. Ratings, whether they be specific numerical ratings of individual wines or classifications of growers, are always likely to create controversy among both the growers and wine tasters. But such ratings can be reliable and powerfully informative if done impartially, with a global viewpoint, and with firsthand, on-premises (sur place) knowledge of the wines, the producers, and the type and quality of the winemaking. The important thing for readers to remember is that the growers/producers who receive either a four-star or five-star rating are the ones to search out; I suspect few consumers will ever be disappointed with one of their wines. The three-star rated growers/producers are less consistent, but can be expected to make fine wines in the very good to excellent vintages. Their weaknesses stem from either the fact that their vineyards are not so strategically placed, or because they are unable to make the severe selections necessary to make only the finest quality wine. In short, purchasing their wine in a less than spectacular vintage is fraught with risk.

    Rating the growers and producers is one of this book’s most significant features and its importance cannot be underestimated. Years of wine tasting have taught me many things, but the more one tastes and assimilates knowledge, the more one begins to isolate the handful of truly world-class growers and producers who seem to rise above the crowd in great as well as mediocre vintages. I always admonish consumers against blind faith in one grower or producer, or one specific vintage, but the producers and growers rated outstanding and excellent are as close to a guarantee of high quality as you are likely to find.

    THE STAR RATINGS

    ***** A grower or producer who consistently produces the finest wines of the appellation and whose goals are totally governed by quality. These are producers who spare no expense in time, labor, or materials to come as close to perfection as Mother Nature will permit.

    ****  An excellent to outstanding grower or producer who produces brilliant wines in most years, but can lack consistency in difficult years.

    ***    A good, sound grower or producer who can be expected to produce above-average quality wines in the best vintages.

    **      A grower or producer who turns out standard quality, unexciting wine.

    *        A grower or producer whose wines generally lack character and quality.

    TASTING NOTES AND WINE RATINGS

    All of my tastings were done in peer-group, single-blind conditions, when possible (meaning that the same types of wines are tasted against each other and the producers’ names are not known), either in my tasting room or in the cellars of the producers. The ratings reflect an independent, critical look at the wines. Neither price nor the reputation of the producer or grower affect the rating in any manner. I spend three months of every year tasting in vineyards. During the other nine months of the year, six- and sometimes seven-day workweeks are devoted solely to tasting and writing. I do not participate in wine judgings or trade tastings for many reasons, but principal among these are the following: (1) I prefer to taste from an entire bottle of wine, (2) I find it essential to have properly sized and cleaned professional tasting glasses, (3) the temperatures of the wine must be correct, and (4) I alone wish to determine the time allocated to the number of wines to be critiqued.

    The numeral rating given is a guide to what I think of the wine vis-à-vis its peer group. Certainly, wines rated above 85 are very good to excellent, and any wine rated 90 or above will be outstanding for its particular type. While some have suggested that scoring is not well suited to a beverage that has been romantically extolled for centuries, wine is no different from any consumer product. There are specific standards of quality that full-time wine professionals recognize, and there are benchmark wines against which all others can be judged. I know of no one with three or four different glasses of wine in front of him or her, regardless of how good or bad the wines might be, who cannot say I prefer this one to that one. Scoring wines is simply taking a professional’s opinion and applying some sort of numerical system to it on a consistent basis. Scoring permits rapid communication of information to expert and novice alike.

    The rating system I employ in my wine journal, The Wine Advocate, is the one I have utilized in this book. It is a 50–100 point scale, the most repugnant of all wines meriting 50 since that is the starting point of the scale, and the most glorious gustatory experience commanding 100. I prefer my system to the more widely quoted 20-point scale called the Davis Scale, of the University of California at Davis, because it permits much more flexibility in scoring. It is also easier to understand because it corresponds to the American grading system, and it avoids the compression of scores from which the Davis Scale suffers. It is not without its own problems, though, because readers will often wonder what the difference is between an 86 and 87, both very good wines. The only answer I can give is a simple one: When tasted side by side, I thought the 87-point wine slightly better than the 86-point wine.

    The score given for a specific wine reflects the quality of the wine at its best. I often tell people that evaluating a wine and assigning a score to a beverage that will change and evolve in many instances for up to 10 or more years is analogous to taking a photograph of a marathon runner. Much can be ascertained at that instant but, like the moving object, the wine will also evolve and change. Wines from obviously badly corked or defective bottles are retried, since a wine from such a single bad bottle does not indicate an entirely spoiled batch. Many of the wines reviewed here have been tasted many times, and the score represents a cumulative average of the wine’s performance in tastings to date. Scores, however, do not tell the entire story about a wine. The written commentary that accompanies the ratings is often a better source of information regarding the wine’s style and personality, its relative quality level vis-à-vis its peers, and its relative value and aging potential than any score could ever indicate.

    Here then is a general guide to interpreting the numerical ratings:

    90–100 is equivalent to an A and is given only for an outstanding or special effort. Wines in this category are the very best produced of their type and, like a three-star Michelin restaurant, merit the trouble to find and taste. There is a taste difference between a 90 and a 99, but both are top marks. As you will note throughout the text, there are few wines that actually make it into this top category simply because there just are not many truly great wines.

    80–89 is equivalent to a B in school and such a wine, particularly in the 85–89 range, is very, very good; many of the wines that fall into this range often are great values as well. I would not hesitate to have any of these wines in my own personal collection.

    70–79 represents a C, or average mark, but obviously 79 is a much more desirable score than 70. Wines that receive scores between 75 and 79 are generally pleasant, straightforward wines that simply lack complexity, character, or depth. If inexpensive, they may be ideal for uncritical quaffing.

    Below 70 is a D or F, depending on where you went to school; for wine, too, it is a sign of an imbalanced, flawed, or terribly dull or diluted wine that will be of little interest to the smart wine consumer.

    In terms of awarding points, my scoring system gives every wine a base of 50 points. The wine’s general color and appearance merit up to 5 points. Since most wines today are well made, thanks to modern technology and the increased use of professional oenologists, they tend to receive at least 4, often 5 points. The aroma and bouquet merit up to 15 points, depending on the intensity level and extract of the aroma and bouquet as well as the cleanliness of the wine. The flavor and finish merit up to 20 points, and again, intensity of flavor, balance, cleanliness, and depth and length on the palate are all important considerations when giving out points. Finally, the overall quality level or potential for further evolution and improvement—aging—merits up to 10 points.

    Scores are important for the reader to gauge a professional critic’s overall qualitative placement of a wine vis-à-vis its peers. However, it is also vital to consider the description of the wine’s style, personality, and potential. No scoring system is perfect, but a system that provides for flexibility in scores, if applied without prejudice, can quantify different levels of wine quality and provide the reader with a professional’s judgment. However, there can never be any substitute for your own palate nor any better education than tasting the wine yourself.

    ONE FURTHER CAVEAT

    In dealing with the typical Burgundian grower/producer, one becomes acutely aware of size. The microsizes of Burgundy producers’ holdings must be conveyed to the reader since size impacts dramatically on not only a reader’s ability to find a given wine, but the price that must ultimately be paid for it.

    In this book, I have converted everything from hectares to acres since the latter unit of measurement is employed in America. (For the record, 1 hectare equals 2.47 acres.) Holdings have been rounded off, either to the nearest tenth or hundredth of an acre. I have tried to verify the acreage claimed by each producer, but my figures cannot always be guaranteed, nor can the list of wines the producer claims to make. Years of experience and contradictory facts given to me by the producers have caused me to write down their information with my tongue pressed firmly against my cheek. Most of the facts given to me are extremely accurate, but growers have a tendency to understate their production while overstating their vineyard

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